The call that is now considered a diplomatic breakthrough between Presidents Donald Trump and Gustavo Petro, which has temporarily defused a tense atmosphere in the region, was reportedly brokered by an unexpected intermediary: Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky.
According to reporting from El Espectador, while the Colombian government had spent months seeking various channels to reach the White House, it was Paul who finally established the bridge. The Kentucky senator, who has developed a close relationship with Colombian Ambassador Daniel García-Peña, delivered the message to the Trump administration that Petro was eager to de-escalate the crisis.
Paul emerged as a surprising ally, given that he is one of the few Republican senators to openly criticize the recent U.S. military raid in Venezuela and the lethal strikes against suspected drug boats in the Caribbean.
President Trump was reportedly very blunt toward President Petro during the call
The phone call lasted a full hour, rather than the initial estimates provided by local media. Sources close to the conversation revealed that the direct exchange involved only the two presidents and an interpreter. During the talk, Trump was reportedly blunt with the Colombian leader, telling Petro that he had heard “very bad things” about him, but also “very good things.”
The atmosphere of the call was described by sources in local Colombian media as cordial, marking a radical shift from the insults and threats of the past year. Since Trump’s return to the White House, his administration has revoked Petro’s visa, included him and the First Lady on the Clinton List for financial sanctions, and publicly branded the Colombian president a drug addict and a “sick man.”
#NoticiaW | “El presidente colombiano Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) lo está llamando” señala una nota retratada por el fotógrafo Doug Mills, del New York Times, y previa a la llamada entre los presidentes de Colombia y Estados Unidos → https://t.co/QkoYKHajIl pic.twitter.com/Ok6EuU4vqK
— W Radio Colombia (@WRadioColombia) January 8, 2026
The sudden partial reconciliation forced an immediate pivot for Petro, who was scheduled to deliver a nationalist, confrontational speech at a mass rally in Bogota’s Plaza de Bolivar just moments after hanging up. Petro joked with the crowd that he had to abandon his prepared remarks and draft a new speech on the go.
Petro claims Trump was deceived by members of Colombia’s opposition
Addressing the thousands of supporters at Plaza de Bolivar, Petro claimed that “Trump is not stupid” and argued that the U.S. president had been “deceived” by members of the Colombian right-wing opposition who had traveled to Washington to “poison” the relationship.
Reporting from El Pais indicates that the call was the culmination of a high-stakes, secret diplomatic mission. For months, a select group of Colombian business leaders, the inspector general, and Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio had been working quietly to prevent a military conflict.
These officials were reportedly deeply concerned by “psycho-terror” tactics used by certain U.S. members of Congress who had insinuated that Petro might face a fate similar to the captured Nicolas Maduro if he maintained his anti-imperialist rhetoric.
Aquí hablando con el presidente Trump pic.twitter.com/zVGjwJiRUx
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 8, 2026
While the “jaguar” imagery and references to Bolivar’s sword continue to appear in Petro’s communications, the president signaled that the immediate threat of a U.S. incursion has faded.
Last night, he told his supporters that “Colombia can sleep peacefully” for now, though he warned that the nation must not lower its guard ahead of the formal state visit to the White House. Arrangements for that meeting are currently being finalized between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Minister Villavicencio.
Despite the newfound cordiality, Petro emphasized that his administration remains firm on the issue of Venezuela. He revealed that he had spoken with Venezuelan interim leader Delcy Rodriguez earlier this week, inviting her to Colombia as part of his proposal for a tripartite dialogue that includes Washington. The success of this diplomatic gamble now rests on the upcoming face-to-face meeting in Washington, D.C., which both leaders have described as a “great honor.”